ACCESSIBILITY & RESPONSIVE UX

Accessibility Audits and Responsive Fixes Built for Canadian Compliance Requirements

Ignited Nepal audits and remediates websites for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, AODA requirements, and responsive layout across the full device range. We run manual and automated testing using Axe and WAVE, screen reader testing with JAWS and NVDA, keyboard navigation review, colour contrast analysis, ARIA implementation, and mobile UX remediation. We deliver audit reports that support your compliance obligations and retest confirmation reports that document the outcome.

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/ This is for you if

Who This Is For

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requires that organisations with one or more employees make their websites accessible, with WCAG 2.0 AA as the current mandated standard and movement toward WCAG 2.1 AA expected. If you have not audited your website against WCAG 2.0 AA, you may be in non-compliance today. If you are planning ahead, auditing against WCAG 2.1 AA now avoids a second round of remediation when the standard advances.

The Accessible Canada Act, which came into force in 2019, applies to federally regulated organisations and sets a direction toward barrier-free Canada by 2040. Websites are covered under the Act's communications and information technology requirements. If your organisation is federally regulated, a documented accessibility audit is part of demonstrating progress toward your obligations.

You have received a formal complaint under AODA or the Canadian Human Rights Act, or you have been contacted by a user who cannot complete a critical task on your site. You need to understand the scope of the problem, prioritise the fixes that resolve the most serious barriers first, and produce documentation that shows you took the complaint seriously and acted on it.

/ What's broken

What's Broken

You Are Relying on Automated Scan Results as Your Compliance Evidence

Automated accessibility tools identify approximately 30 to 40 percent of WCAG failures. For AODA compliance purposes, an automated scan result is not sufficient evidence of due diligence. Screen reader compatibility, keyboard operability, focus management, and the correctness of ARIA implementations all require manual testing. Organisations that have only run automated scans have a gap between what they believe their compliance status to be and what it actually is.

Your Site Cannot Be Navigated Without a Mouse

Every interactive element on your site must be operable by keyboard alone. This covers navigation menus, forms, modal dialogues, carousels, custom dropdowns, date pickers, and any other interactive component. If keyboard focus indicators are invisible, if tab order is illogical, if any function requires a mouse gesture to complete, your site has a keyboard accessibility failure. These failures directly affect users with motor disabilities and are covered by WCAG 2.1 success criteria that AODA compliance references.

Your Colour Contrast Does Not Meet the 4.5:1 Requirement

WCAG 2.1 AA requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal-sized text and 3:1 for large text. Colour contrast failures are among the most common issues found on Canadian websites and among the most straightforward to fix once identified. They are also highly visible to users with low vision who do not use assistive technology: contrast failures affect a broader population than screen reader failures alone.

Your Responsive Layout Creates Barriers on Mobile Devices

Mobile accessibility is part of WCAG 2.1, specifically criterion 1.3.4 on orientation lock and criterion 2.5 on input modalities. Beyond the specific WCAG criteria, a layout that breaks at certain viewport widths, presents text too small to read without zooming, or has touch targets too small to activate reliably creates barriers for users with motor and visual disabilities on mobile devices. These failures are commonly missed in desktop-focused audits.

/ What we engineer

What We Do

Automated Accessibility Scan

We run a full automated scan using Axe and WAVE across every page type in your information architecture. We document findings, classify them by WCAG 2.1 criterion, and identify structural patterns that allow single fixes to resolve multiple instances of the same issue type.

Manual Screen Reader Testing

We test with JAWS and NVDA on Windows, which are the screen readers most widely used by blind and low-vision web users in Canada. We test navigation by heading structure, navigation by landmark, link text quality, form label associations, error message handling, and the behaviour of all dynamic components including modals, tabs, accordions, and carousels.

Keyboard Navigation Audit

We test every interactive element on your site using keyboard only: Tab, Shift-Tab, Enter, Space, arrow keys, and Escape. We check focus indicator visibility, tab order logic, custom component keyboard interaction patterns, focus management in dynamic content, and the presence and functionality of skip navigation links.

Colour Contrast Report

We test every text and graphical element against its background for WCAG 2.1 AA contrast compliance. We document every failure with the current ratio, the required ratio, and a compliant colour value that preserves your brand palette as closely as possible. We test body text, headings, links, button labels, placeholder text, and icon-only controls.

ARIA Implementation Review

We review all ARIA usage across your site. We identify incorrect role assignments, missing required ARIA properties, unsupported patterns, and cases where ARIA is being used to compensate for non-semantic HTML when a semantic HTML solution would be more appropriate and more accessible. Incorrect ARIA is one of the most common sources of screen reader failures on modern sites.

Responsive Layout Audit and Fixes

We test across the full range of viewport widths and on real iOS and Android devices. We document and fix layout failures including navigation collapse behaviour, touch target sizes, text size and reflow at small viewports, and the behaviour of sticky or fixed elements. We also check for orientation lock failures and pointer gesture alternatives.

Accessibility Audit Report and Retest Confirmation

We deliver a written report classifying every issue as critical, major, or minor, with WCAG 2.1 criterion references and remediation recommendations. After remediation, we retest and issue a retest confirmation report. This report is the documentation that supports your AODA compliance position and responds to any accessibility complaints you have received.

Request an Accessibility Audit

/ What changes

What Changes

Before

After

BeforeAutomated accessibility tools identify approximately 30 to 40 percent of WCAG failures. For AODA compliance purposes, an automated scan result is not sufficient evidence of due diligence. Screen reader compatibility, keyboard operability, focus management, and the correctness of ARIA implementations all require manual testing. Organisations that have only run automated scans have a gap between what they believe their compliance status to be and what it actually is.

AfterAODA currently mandates WCAG 2.0 AA for most organisations in Ontario. Auditing and remediating to WCAG 2.1 AA means you exceed the current requirement and are positioned for the expected standard advancement. The retest confirmation report is the evidence of your compliance work.

BeforeEvery interactive element on your site must be operable by keyboard alone. This covers navigation menus, forms, modal dialogues, carousels, custom dropdowns, date pickers, and any other interactive component. If keyboard focus indicators are invisible, if tab order is illogical, if any function requires a mouse gesture to complete, your site has a keyboard accessibility failure. These failures directly affect users with motor disabilities and are covered by WCAG 2.1 success criteria that AODA compliance references.

AfterAn accessibility audit report and retest confirmation document show that you identified accessibility barriers and took action to remove them. This documentation is relevant to AODA enforcement processes, complaints under the Canadian Human Rights Act, and federal obligations under the Accessible Canada Act. Undocumented accessibility work provides no legal protection.

BeforeWCAG 2.1 AA requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal-sized text and 3:1 for large text. Colour contrast failures are among the most common issues found on Canadian websites and among the most straightforward to fix once identified. They are also highly visible to users with low vision who do not use assistive technology: contrast failures affect a broader population than screen reader failures alone.

AfterThe practical outcome of accessibility remediation is that people who were previously excluded from your service can now use it. For public-facing organisations, that means a broader usable audience. For service organisations, it means fewer support contacts from users who cannot complete tasks online. For e-commerce and transactional sites, it means revenue from customers who previously could not complete a purchase.

BeforeMobile accessibility is part of WCAG 2.1, specifically criterion 1.3.4 on orientation lock and criterion 2.5 on input modalities. Beyond the specific WCAG criteria, a layout that breaks at certain viewport widths, presents text too small to read without zooming, or has touch targets too small to activate reliably creates barriers for users with motor and visual disabilities on mobile devices. These failures are commonly missed in desktop-focused audits.

AfterAccessibility-driven responsive fixes, including improved touch target sizes, correct text scaling, and better navigation behaviour on small viewports, improve the experience for all mobile users. The overlap between WCAG 2.1 mobile requirements and general mobile usability best practice is large enough that an accessibility-focused audit always produces mobile UX improvements alongside compliance outcomes.

/ How it works

Process

Scope and Compliance Context

We review your site architecture and identify all page types and interaction patterns requiring testing. We confirm your regulatory context: AODA compliance tier, Accessible Canada Act obligations, any pending complaints, and any reporting or deadline requirements. This takes two to three days and sets the scope for the audit.
Automated Scan and Manual Audit

We run the automated scan and conduct the manual audit in parallel: screen reader testing, keyboard navigation, colour contrast analysis, ARIA review, and responsive layout testing across the full viewport and device range. The audit takes one to two weeks depending on site complexity.
Audit Report Delivery

We deliver the written accessibility audit report, classified by severity and WCAG 2.1 criterion, with remediation recommendations. We present findings in a call with your team and answer questions from your development staff before remediation begins.
Remediation and Retest

We implement fixes or work alongside your development team to implement them. After remediation, we run a full retest and issue the retest confirmation report. This report is your primary compliance documentation and the appropriate response to any accessibility complaint that has been received.

Request an Accessibility Audit

/ Common questions

FAQ

Straight answers on scope, timelines and cost. Anything else, ask us directly.

Ask us directly

What does AODA require for website accessibility in Ontario?

AODA's Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation requires that organisations with one or more employees make their internet websites and web content conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA, with some exceptions. The current standard is WCAG 2.0 AA, but the government has signalled movement toward WCAG 2.1 AA in future updates. Compliance applies to new and significantly refreshed websites and web content. Organisations with 50 or more employees are required to file accessibility compliance reports every three years. An audit and remediation cycle, documented with a retest confirmation report, is the standard approach to demonstrating compliance.

How does the Accessible Canada Act differ from AODA?

AODA is provincial legislation that applies in Ontario. The Accessible Canada Act is federal legislation that applies to federally regulated organisations: federal government departments and agencies, Crown corporations, banks, telecommunications companies, interprovincial transportation companies, and broadcasters under federal jurisdiction. The Accessible Canada Act takes a broader approach to systemic barrier removal across all of an organisation's operations, with web accessibility falling under its information and communications technology requirements. If your organisation is federally regulated, both accessibility frameworks may apply.

Is WCAG 2.1 AA more demanding than WCAG 2.0 AA?

WCAG 2.1 adds 17 new success criteria to WCAG 2.0, focused primarily on mobile accessibility, low vision requirements, and cognitive accessibility. The new criteria cover issues like touch target size, orientation lock, text spacing, and pointer gesture alternatives. A site that meets WCAG 2.0 AA may still fail several WCAG 2.1 AA criteria. Auditing to WCAG 2.1 AA now means you do not need a separate remediation cycle when the standard advances, which is the anticipated direction of future AODA updates.

What is the difference between automated and manual accessibility testing?

Automated testing tools identify structural accessibility failures that can be detected programmatically: missing alt text, absent form labels, low contrast ratios, and missing document language declarations. They identify approximately 30 to 40 percent of WCAG failures reliably. Manual testing is required for screen reader compatibility, keyboard interaction logic, focus management, the quality of link and button text, and the correctness of ARIA implementation. For AODA compliance purposes, an automated scan alone is not sufficient evidence of due diligence.

Can you help us respond to an AODA accessibility complaint?

Yes. When an organisation receives an accessibility complaint, the appropriate response is to investigate the reported barrier, remediate it, and document the action taken. We can audit the specific feature or page that is the subject of the complaint, provide a written description of the barrier found and the fix applied, and issue a retest confirmation for inclusion in the formal complaint response. We can also conduct a broader audit of the site if the complaint reveals a systemic issue.

/ Our team

The people behind the work.

Niraj Raut

SEO Expert

LinkedIn Website

Keshab Joshi

PPC Expert